1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of determining the type of human body in a thermo-therapeutic apparatus and, more particularly, to a method of determining the type of human body in a thermo-therapeutic apparatus, in which a control unit scans the entire spine of a user by moving a moxibustion device using a horizontal motor, measures the operating current of the horizontal motor, calculates the length of the spine of the human body based on the measured operating current, and precisely determines the positions of the cervical vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae, and the coccyx that form the spine, thereby calculating acupuncture points suitable for a specific person and then enabling the calculated acupuncture points to be used to administer thermotherapy.
2. Description of the Related Art
A human has the physiological weakness of becoming relatively easily fatigued because a lot of load is imposed on the spine part in terms of the structure of the body in an upright state, unlike other mammals. In particular, in old age, lots of people have various geriatric diseases or feel physical pain because fatigue accumulates without being relieved because of a significant decrease in immune functionality.
Furthermore, in the recent rapidly spreading Internet environment, even teenagers who are sitting on chairs for a long time in a bad posture and are immersed in the computer experience various diseases and a lot of pain resulting from abnormalities of the spine.
The central nerves of the human body extend to parts of the human body through the spine, and thus major acupuncture points related to not only various geriatric diseases but also the activities of various internal organs, such as the heart, the lungs and the stomach and intestines, are scattered near the spine. In Chinese medicine, in order to enhance the immune functionality, relieve physical pain, and treat and prevent physical pain, chiropractic or moxibustion on spine acupuncture points has been performed for a long time along with acupuncture. Thermo-therapeutic apparatuses focusing on the treatment effects are recently being used in ordinary homes.
In general, thermo-therapeutic apparatuses for treating the diseases of the spine using chiropractic and thermotherapy are configured to stimulate meridian systems and acupuncture points on the spine side while horizontally moving a chiropractic device having a lamp embedded therein. Far-infrared rays emitted from the lamp have an acupuncture effect because they are penetrated deep into the skin, electric heat has a moxibustion effect, and the chiropractic device has an acupuncture effect.
In the conventional thermo-therapeutic apparatus, the width of a pad and the chiropractic device and the chiropractic device are designed based on the spine position of users having an average body type (e.g., height and weight). The conventional thermo-therapeutic apparatus is problematic in that users who do not belong to the average body type and want to receive thermotherapy do not receive proper spine correction and acupuncture effects from the stimulus of the spine-side meridian systems and acupuncture points. In other words, the conventional thermo-therapeutic apparatus focuses on all users having different body types and thus cannot stimulate the spine-side meridian systems and acupuncture points of all the users. The thermo-therapeutic apparatus has the disadvantage of exhibiting its effects on only a very limited set of users.
As described above, in order to determine the spine positions of users having different body types, two signals detected from the spine of the human body must be received, and a variety of research are being conducted into the detection of the two signals.